David Hernandez and Diablo Cody: What do they have in common? They are both former strippers, yes. But they have also have had very public battles with the American dream. For Hernandez, it was a setback - being voted off American Idol for his past - and for Cody it was one larger than she ever wanted - Oscar gold.
On Wednesday, Hernandez was the first of the top 12 finalists to exit Idol. This served as a surprise to many, as the talented singer was not among the weaker vocalists on the show. It became quite evident that he was voted off because of the break of a story chronicling his work at Dick's Cabaret in Pheonix, where he stripped and gave lap dances to a largely male clientele.
While Hernandez's decisions in his youth came back to crush his dreams, Cody's are what made her famous; her writing talent was discovered from her personal blog, "The Pussy Ranch," which chronicled her past life as a stripper. But this is the least of the details; interestingly, press reports seem to gloss over it entirely. Cody was a performer in a peep show at an adult store called Sex World in Minneapolis. She later gave up her skin-revealing ways, finding work in the phone sex industry before eventually settling into journalism and selling her Juno screenplay.
Why the luck? First of all, Cody is a woman. Her gender is recognized as that which works in the industry, making her past career less shocking. Secondly, she's not gay. And lastly, her line of work is considered by society to be more dignified than a recording career, with pop tartlets like Britney Spears and rappers like Kevin Federline on the loose. Cody wrote a movie promoting adoption instead of abortion, placing her in line with America's Christian values. This went on to win an Academy Award, which is Hollywood's equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize. There's nothing classier than an Oscar. This proclaimed her an intellectual to the world and erased her past, thus becoming a story of triumph.
American Idol has become so successful because Americans have the chance to see others' American dreams, many of which they share, come to life before their eyes. The idol gets a singing contract, sure, but with it comes a $1 million recording contract and an instant catapult into fame. Yet, the show has fallen short. Instead of choosing talented vocalists, its producers have sought to find individuals who make engaging contestants. They all have rough backgrounds, low-paying jobs, and are seeking their chance at their American dream.
In doing all this, however, American Idol has made itself the moral compass of the American dream, writing a rulebook to secure it. Contestants must have criminal backgrounds as white as snow and cannot have had any past involvement in the adult industry. In season two of the series, contestant Frenchie Davis was axed before the top 12 began when news broke that she had posed nude for an adult Internet site. Davis responded to the reports, reasoning that she had taken the work to help to pay for the education that she could not afford. In essence, she was the perfect candidate to find her American dream with a dark past that she could overcome before America. But, for conduct unbecoming of a perfect Idol, she was given the back door.
Knowing this, it was surprising that producers granted Hernandez permission to continue on with the show. This time, however, they were not dumb. They knew that the controversy could only help fuel their already enormously popular show. The men in suits gave him the chance this time. Yet it turned out to be America, who had been educated on what it takes to be on Idol, that rejected him. Had Hernandez's past not been revealed, he would still be in the top 12. While his song choice was not right, he sports vocals that are more refined than several of the other contestants on the show, and he has an undeniable stage presence.
It's sad to see a show that set out to do so much fall victim to the fame that it has garnered. If only it could go back to basics, giving true talent the chance to shine in spite of contestants' life stories. In a perfect world, Hernandez would sing "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" in the show's finale.
Be the first to comment on this article!